AN inquiry has begun into whether Runnymede Borough Council can change the permitted use of common land in Englefield Green to enable a village play area to be extended.

The three-day hearing at the Savill Court Hotel follows the council’s application for a change of use, which sparked a flurry of letters to the Planning Inspectorate from residents.

The local authority said those in favour “exceeded by far” the number of objections.

The plans first came about in 2006 when residents petitioned their local ward councillors about play provision in Englefield Green.

A proposal was drawn up to almost double the size of an existing play area for children aged under five, adding new equipment for youngsters aged between seven and 11.

The borough council’s head of leisure services, Chris Hunt, said: “The [village] green is governed by the revised Commons Act 2006, and that entails the council making an application for the change of use for this purpose.

“Nowhere else in the village has such an ideal play area. This proposal would take 0.3% of the common land situated just north of the centre of Englefield Green.”

Mr Hunt added that the rest of the village green would remain as “fully accessible open space”, and that the play area and extension would also be open to all, “albeit children up to the age of 11 with their guardians being the intended users of that area”.

The estimated cost of the hearing has been put at up to £20,000, while, if the playground extension went ahead, the council would also have to seek £30,000 of capital funding for the project.

Objectors have set out their case on the Keep Englefield Green website , where issues such as lighting at night and child safety are highlighted.

They said Surrey Police, the Open Spaces Society, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Sport England had all raised doubts about whether the play area extension was suitable.

The protesters also questioned the spending of thousands of pounds of council money on the inquiry, when its finances were "under severe strain" and Englefield Green had "no toilets, post office or day care centre, high parking charges, [and] the health centre under pressure".